iSecond Tracks

If you’re like most people who work from home these days, you likely didn’t expect it to be a permanent arrangement. But after the pandemic many of us clack away at our laptops while huddled on the couch or hunched over the dining room table. Maybe you cordoned off a room in your home as a designated office. Whatever your setup, you probably wish it were more comfortable. You want to focus on your work, not on the indignities of your corporeal form.

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In the course of writing for SlashGear and other websites, I’ve learned a lot about how to optimize my work-from-home setup. I spend eight hours or more a day typing in front of a screen, so I made it my mission to optimize my workplace, be that my home office, local coffee shops, or even my bed . After much trial and error, I’ve found some great accessories to make each remote environment as comfortable as can be. So, from lighting that will create the right atmosphere to ergonomic accessories that will keep your body feeling its best after a long workday, here are six of the best accessories to make your work from home office more comfortable.

One of the easiest ways to make your work from home office feel more comfortable is to create a cozy atmosphere. Lighting is the easiest way to do that. A room’s lighting can greatly impact our mood. Warm light creates a more cozy environment, while cooler lights make us more alert. This is most likely because cooler light is more akin to daylight, when our ancestors did their hunting and other tasks, while warmer light is reminiscent of fire, which kept them warm at night. The spectrum of light temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin, and most smart light bulbs will allow you to dial in precise temperatures for the light they emit.

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Moreover, you don’t need to break the bank to get great smart lights. While big brands like Philips Hue can cost a pretty penny, cheaper alternatives like LIFX are often just as capable. My favorite are the LIFX A19 smart light bulbs, which are affordable and have a wide range of vibrant colors and fit perfectly in lamps. During working hours, you can put these bulbs on a setting that better emulates natural light, and even schedule a shift from cool to warm as the day wanes. This can aid your body’s natural circadian rhythm. And, if you want to shift the vibe up in a new way, smart bulbs can be set to any color you like. Cool blue, regal purple, or other colors may have unique impacts on your mood and mindset.

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If your job requires you to do a lot of typing, then take it from a full-time writer: a mechanical keyboard can do wonders for your comfort. While the most common keyboards use scissor switches (in which two interlocking pieces of plastic create resistance for each keypress) or membrane switches (where a membrane layer flexes to connect with a bottom layer when pressed), mechanical keyboards are popular because they use specialized switches with finely tuned springs and sometimes tactile mechanisms to ensure a consistent experience.

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There are currently more mechanical keyboards on the market than ever before, with options ranging from slim and portable low-profile keyboards to big, brick-like keyboards that are meant to live on your desk. Some of the most reliable mechanical keyboard brands offer a variety of switch options, which can be hot-swapped at any time so you can experiment with different switches in the same keyboard to find the right ones for you.

My personal favorite keyboards at the moment are the Epomaker x LeoBog Hi75 and the NuPhy Air75 V2. The former is best for those with a full desktop computer setup, as it’s quite heavy and requires a cable to power it, while the latter is compact enough to slip into a bag for those who work around the house or on the go. The Hi75 offers one of the best out-of-the-box typing experiences I’ve had. On the other hand, the Air75 V2 feels great to type on for such a low-profile keyboard, and has Bluetooth and 2.5GHz dongle modes in addition to a wired mode.

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Having your feet planted on the floor all day can wear you out more than you might think. The best position for computer work is with your forearms level with the ground and elbows close to your sides, bent at 90-degrees as you rest your hands on the keyboard with your feet flat on the ground. However, when adjusting your chair’s height for good typing posture, you’ll often find that your feet aren’t resting flat, forcing you either to tuck or extend them. This is where a foot rest can provide the stability needed to keep the rest of your body locked in that ergonomic pose.

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The best foot rests allow for a versatility of positions and are designed with comfort in mind. Amazon’s overall pick for under desk foot rests is the BlissTrends Foot Rest, which is a memory foam foot rest that can be height adjusted and is covered with a washable cover, and at $28 normally, it isn’t too pricey. I’ve had mine for a few months and, when I remember to use it, I do feel less worn out after a workday.

If you live in a colder part of the world, you might also consider a heated foot rest. Amazon has sold over 800 of the Snailax heated foot rest, which also includes a vibration massage function and a washable cover, all for about $50. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive.

While some lucky folks get to work from home with no one else around, those who have a family or roommates are stuck listening to everything they do. That can be a real distraction when there’s work to be done, which is why a great pair of noise canceling headphones can be the perfect remedy. Not only are headphones with active noise cancelation great for keeping yourself focused, but they’ll also pull double duty as a microphone for phone or video calls.

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If you don’t know where to get started with noise canceling headphones, our list of the best Bluetooth headphones in 2024 is a great place to look. My top pick are still the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, which are incredibly lightweight, sound incredible after some EQ adjustments, and have a dedicated processor on board that smartly adjusts noise canceling on the fly based on your environment. My WH-1000XM5 are my go-to headphones. They accompany me everywhere from coffee shops to airplanes and quiet even the busiest environments so I can focus. With Sony suspected to drop the next generation of these fan-favorite headphones soon, the prices are coming down, and Amazon has them in black or white for just under $299 at the time of this writing, an over $100 discount. You could either scoop these up at a great price now, or hold off for the next generation, which will doubtless retain a premium price tag.

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Many of use are addicted to our daily cup of Joe. But keeping it warm all morning can be difficult. Consider getting a mug warmer that will keep a warm coffee, tea, or other hot beverage just as toasty as you like it all day long. For those of us who tend to sip rather than gulp our drinks, a mug warmer provides the ability to savor them for longer.

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Amazon’s overall pick, the generically named KitchekShop Coffee Mug Warmer, normally goes for $40. At the time of this writing, however, it’s only $20. It has a timer and four temperature settings, which appears to be a competitive feature set compared to similarly priced warmers. Spend a bit more and you can get something like the Ikago Smart Heated Coffee Mug Warmer & Mug Set, which gives you precise control over the temperature down to the degrees Fahrenheit, turns off when you take the mug off of the heating plate, and includes a mug, lid, and stir spoon.

If you want something more high tech, consider the Ember Smart Mug 2. the first version of which SlashGear praised in our review. Sure, connecting a mug to a smartphone app over Bluetooth seems like a lot, but once you’ve done so, the Ember mug will keep your beverage heated to a precise temperature using its built-in heating system. Unlike a mug warmer, the Ember heats the liquid directly, which allows it to be more precise. The saucer it comes with doubles as a charging plate. At time of writing, it is on sale for $92, down from a list price of $130.

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If comfort is what you seek, what could be more comfortable than working in bed? On those days when putting your feet on the floor seems impossible, why bother when you could pop open your laptop without getting out from under the covers? Of course, the reality of working in bed is less idyllic than that. With your laptop warming up as you rest it on heat-trapping blankets, notebooks or other work accessories scattered around you, and no firm surface to work on, you’ll wish you had a lap desk. But not all lap desks are created equal. The traditional kind that balance on your lap quickly grow uncomfortable and restrict movement.

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My favorite lap desk is the Saiji K7 Ultimate, as it’s the most feature-rich such product I’ve tested. It’s a folding desk with ski-style feet that make it easy to slide across a bed. Not only is it large enough to hold a laptop and mouse with plenty of room to spare, but gutters at the top, along with a slide-out drawer in the side, provide even more storage. The K7 Ultimate also includes a stopper that slots into the front gutter, preventing a laptop from slipping over the edge when the desk is angled down. Speaking of which, this lap desk can tilt to a shockingly steep angle, which is great for when I want to put a tablet on it and watch videos. It has five notches of height adjustment, too. Lastly, and most delightfully, the K7 Ultimate has a book holder that can be propped up in the front gutter and docks away underneath the desk when not in use.

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Testing the comfort level of products requires lived experience to assess the claims made by manufacturers. As a full-time writer who works from home, I’ve tested countless accessories to make my job as comfortable as possible. Each of the products recommended in this article were selected based on hands-on testing by either myself or, in the case of the Ember Smart Mug, one of our talented product reviewers. In some cases, alternative products to compliment our primary recommendations were suggested based on extensive research into the product and company, as well as a survey of reviews left by consumers on online retailer websites. While SlashGear does employ the use of Amazon affiliate links, we do not recommend products without thorough verification of their quality in accordance with our strict editorial policies.

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